The Salt of Barcelona

“This year the ancient Udura, born of hardship and struggle, celebrates one thousand years of its roots, and the base of its future. It was the second Count Borrell who, by order of his grandfather, made official a document of greater wisdom and generosity than any other in the world. It granted residents salt, land and other assets; freedom and protection with the ARDONA defense of the house of Cardona C and the charter.” And Its Parador Miquel Riu I Alaudi

L and of salt. Town of dukes. Defender of Catalan freedom. Amazing space. The San Ramón Nonato and San Vicente churches bring faith, the castle/fortress, security for the body, and the collegiate church, tranquility to the soul. The mines represent a prosperous past and present. The future is yet to come. Along the banks of the Cardener River, after more than a thousand years of history, the town continues to welcome travelers with open hospitality. Since the early part of the last century, this same welcome has greeted those from Extremadura and Andalusia who have come for the mine, for the salt, for a life, for the spice of life.

The valley harks back to the Neolithic. Its history stretches back to 3,500 years before Christ, a history of megaliths, menhirs, and sepulchers. It has been home to Iberians and Romans. From the first came the root of the name Cardona: Quer, which means rock or steep mountain. From the second came the start of exploiting the mines. in the words of the -2nd century ad Roman writer, Aulus Gellus, “a great mountain of pure salt that grows as it is extracted.”

The next to come were the Bergucios. And the castle, the town’s point of origin and its constant defender. Then came Charlemagne’s troops, and reconquest and rebuilding, with Ludovico Pío as the driving force. And then in 801 the deserted lands of the Segarra region became the frontier between Muslim and Christian . The most audacious settlers lived around the fortress, while the poor quarter inhabited an area below. A church served as protector, the parish church of San Miguel, which reported to San Vicente del Castillo. These were hard years of war after war. When the country at last enjoyed a little peace and was able to go about its work, conflict again reared its head. Al-Manzor, the Arab leader, ravaged towns and lands. Shortly after the Muslim incursion, the town charter was created in response to the need for protection and survival.

Its contents announced that the town and its surrounding area had already been settled in the time of Wilfredo “the Hairy,” who had granted it a sort of constitution. Every week the men of the town had to work one day on the construction of the castle and its towers. In accordance with the Gothic laws of the time, it sanctioned certain crimes, prescribed religious penitence for delinquents, and granted the law-abiding inhabitants of the town the privilege of making use of the salt from the quarry every Thursday.

CARDONA AND ITS PARADOR 1 Aragon, Beatriz de Luna, and Isabel de With the coming of the 13th and Urgel-. It was a century later when the 14th centuries, the land was Catholic King Fernando granted it the developed. The Cardonas, a status of the Duchy of Cardona as a prominent family and member of the reward for the count’s loyalty to the Catalan and Aragonese nobility, crown and the military successes of the inhabited the castle and lands. This Count of Prades. From that time, the prestigious surname was the most illustrious line came to control lands in important after that of the royal Andalusia, Castile, and Italy. At the end family. The family came to own more of the 17th century, there was no male than 30 towns, 25 castles, and four heir. Catalina de Aragon y Cardona, sea ports. This period saw significant daughter of the last duke, married the population growth and urban Duke of Medinaceli. His lordship lasted development, attracting merchants until the time of the seizures of church and craftsmen. lands. Currently the dukedom is no more than a title. First were the viscounts of Cardona, originally from Osona, Ramón Folch, Cardona has survived its lords and its the brother of Bishop Eribaldo. A conflicts: the Reapers’ War, the War of countship was granted by King Pedro Spanish Succession, the Napoleonic Wars, the Ceremonious in 1357 to Hugo II, and the Carlist Wars. who had three wives, Blanca de

The Castle. Parador Duques de Cardona

“... Graceful castle of immortal clergy occupied the castle in turns. It was subsequently a prison and then memory, you have filled so many pages a barracks. Constantly besieged, the Spanish Civil War was the final of history with the counts of Cardona chapter in this history of suffering. as your patrons; your battlements were transformed into a Parador, but just as The 62,000-square meter building is reached from the town by two always, you attract the affectionate routes. Its treasure is the Minyona Tower, 10 meters across. In times past it gaze of hundreds of Cardona’s was much taller than its present 15 meters. According to legend, the inhabitants!” Antoni Casals I Humet origin of its name lies in the story of the love affair between young Adalés, daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Ramón Folch and Enguncia, and the Moorish jailer of Maldá Castle, in the 11th century. Even though the Moor he castle was rebuilt in 886 by Wilfredo “the Hairy.” According to some had renounced his faith in Mohammed, because of his religion the lovely researchers, eighty years earlier, the town already had a small garrison. young woman’s parents and brothers were against the relationship, and But what is important is that the castle has always been there, alert, she was condemned to live inside the tower, her only point of human safeguarding the security of its land and peoples. From its heights it contact being a mute servant. This penalty took its toll on Adelés’s health, watches over the more than 40 kilometers it controls. The Romanesque and she died in her prison. The cross which her Moorish lover built with and Gothic building surrounds the ducal patio. The large windows date stones from the river as a sign of his Christian faith did her no good. The from the 12th and 14th centuries. Public rooms include the so-called tower which contains the memory of this unfortunate women has also Dorada (Golden) Room. In 1534, the Entresols Room was the site of the served as a warehouse. From its roof you can look out over the foot of the ruling in the legal action between the priest of San Miguel Church and castle, over the town of Cardona, the mountain of salt, and further out in the abbot of San Vicente. the distance, the early foothills of the Pyrenees.

It has been fortress to nobles and soldiers, constantly being It is a castle of legends and ghosts. If you are a person who likes a thrill, modernized to give it more defenses and improve existing ones. The be sure to ask for room 712, on the top floor of the castle, near Minyona early walls, battlements, and machicolations were altered to increase its tower. Since the opening of the Parador, on at least two occasions that we strength as a fortress. The embrasures were enlarged and lookout posts know of, guests have received a visit from a male ghost, clothed in leggings were built at the top. The first large construction project was the and period dress. Three visitors and more than one Parador employee have bastion of San Pedro, with two lookout posts, in the year 1693. felt the presence of another world. Windows and doors open and close, seemingly by themselves. There are suspicious noises. Strangely enough, The walls of the castle, which has been a Parador since 1976, suffered the alleged ghost has made contact only with women. during the hard times of the War of Spanish Succession. Soldiers and

2 CARDONA AND ITS PARADOR The following story serves as a sort of confirmation. When the Parador The entire Cardona family lies in the church’s tombs. At the end of the was closed to the public for a period, the security guard was never able to transept lies the mausoleum of Juan Ramón Folch I, conqueror of Naples get his faithful dog to accompany him along the corridor that passes outside and Marseille. At the other end we find the alabaster pantheon of Duke this room. The dog stopped short, barking at the door of room 712. Day Fernando and his wife Francisca Marquínez de Lara. after day, for a month and a half, the dog did the same thing. Lovely views, a double bed with canopy, and who knows what else, await the adventurous The castle buildings also include the Chapel of San Ramón Nonato, a visitor inside: imagination knows no bounds... monk related to the Cardona family. According to church tradition, on his deathbed he was visited by Jesus Christ himself, who gave him Another event, this time in communion. Miracles have been the cultural sphere, gave the attributed to the saint. Born by area a boost in the mid-20th cesarean, with his mother century. The filming of the already dead, he did good deeds Orson Wells production during his entire life. He died in “Falstaff,” in what were then a room of the ducal castle, where the castle’s ruins, galvanized a chapel was built, although this the town and its was destroyed long ago in one of administrators. All Cardona the innumerable violent took part in the filming of what conflicts. His relics were loaded was, in addition to being an onto a blind mule so that the interesting film, an impetus for town’s claim would not be new development. disputed by neighboring towns. According to legend, the animal Let us take it in sections. got 40 kilometers from Cardona, Without leaving the Parador along what is today the Berga area, we find the heart and soul road, where it died, and with it, of the town: the San Vicente the saint’s remains. A chapel was Collegiate Church. Built atop built on the spot, and today, the previous parish church, the every 31 August, more than one current collegiate church was pregnant woman goes there to consecrated in 1040 by the visit. Having walked around the Bishop of Urgell, Viscount of Ausona and Lord of Cardona, Saint building three times, the women ask the saint for his intercession and to Eribaldo. give them a good birth. The chapel in the castle which is dedicated to him Built in a primitive Romanesque Catalan style, the church’s basement today is of modern construction, paid for by donations from the people houses a crypt under the presbytery known as the Chapel of Reliquaries, and the Barcelona provincial council. as it once held relics of Saints Sebastian, Ursula, and Inés, which were later moved to the cathedral in neighboring Solsona.

A Visit to the Duchy

1. Church of San Miguel, Catalan Gothic style. 2. Chapel of Santa Eulalia, Gothic, dates from 1336. 3. Graells Gate, the best preserved of the six in the city walls. 4. Diablo Bridge, links the heart of Cardona with the Segalers neighborhood. 5. Vall Square. 6. Portalet Square. 7. Mercat Square.

8. Fira Square, with an observation point overlooking the Cardoner River. Streets: Cambres, Fira, Escasany, 9. Mayor, and Flores.

CARDONA AND ITS PARADOR 3 Stews and Wild Mushrooms T here can be no doubt that the incomparable setting of the For dessert we offer such delicious sweets and pastries as Panets de Sant Parador’s dining room would whet the appetite of even the most Ignasi, Almendras de la Llum, Borregos de Sant Pare, Piedras de la reserved diner. Whichever dining room you visit, the small one, or the large Cueva and Requesón Cheese from Monserrat. The Parador’s tempting one, both possess an unquestionable beauty and simplicity. The food is an dessert tray displays our best treats. We urge you not to miss out on them. intelligent blend of products from the Mediterranean, the plain, and the mountains. Professionals and artists have had the pleasure of exploring Cardona and its castle. Several advertising spots have been filmed at the Parador, along The region invites you to begin with a plate of cold meats in all their with a few films. Tony Isbert held his wedding here, with his entire family. variety: Salchichón, Donegal, Bull or Espetec Xavier Cugat was a regular at the castle. sausages; ham, cured to just the right point; Fernando Rey and Pepe Sacristán have also Butifarra sausage cooked on stone; pork jowls or passed through. Frequent visitors include the ear. Lunchtime at the Parador means difficult members of the sacred music group Capilla Real, decisions: the cold meats or the house hors led by Jordi Savall. Their most recent successes d’oeuvres? Shrimp, fried dishes, and asparagus were recorded in the interior of the collegiate intermingle with the best and most flavorful from church attached to the Parador, at night, when the annual slaughter. the acoustics are ideal. Victoria de los Angeles and Alicia de la Rocha are habitués of the concert There are a wide variety of wild mushrooms, cycles which take place here. fruit of the earth and an exquisite complement to meat and game: Saffron Milk Caps, Blue Spot The town’s benefactor is a distinguished émigré Knights, Honey Fungus, Caesar’s Mushrooms, to Boston: Valentín Fuster is married to a native Gray Knight Caps, St. George’s Mushrooms, of Cardona. This prestigious cardiologist is a and Copper Spikes. They also go well with a nice member of the castle’s foundation and every two monkfish, a blend of sea and mountain. Fish years brings a cardiology conference to Cardona. caught off the coast may be served alone or with a touch of cava sparkling Up to 600 doctors from around the world attend this special event. During wine sauce. Chicken is combined with Norway lobster, and cuttlefish with this period, even the ghost of room 712 must cede his place to a guest. peas.

Some of the dishes have been imported from the other side of the Pyrenees, such as Duck Maigret. Cheese comes from the mountains and beef from nearby farms. Truffles are important in this area, where they are known as tófina.

Through the Picos de los Ángeles Mountains

C ardona and its castle/Parador are equidistant from Barcelona, Seo de Urgell, and Vic, each 100 kilometers away. Much closer are destinations for every taste in the Bages region itself and neighboring Solsones and Beguedá. Romanesque castles lie all around, with close to ninety in Solsona. Snow can be found at the Port de Comte ski resort. To calm the spirit there are religious refuges such as Monserrat. They say that the angels gave these peaks their shape to make a palace for the Virgin. In other times, these were the hiding places of hermitages and the Catalan militia, and the area has definitely always been a bastion of Catalan pride.

The employees of the Parador Duques de Cardona can tell you about the destinations which will best suit your own original taste. Below we offer just a few ideas:

Montaña de Sal Gema (Rock Salt Mountain): A geological curiosity, it has been named a national monument. In the Salado Valley, this mass of color changes as the sunlight moves across it, going from reddish to white,

4 CARDONA AND ITS PARADOR with a blend of materials, hollows, stalactites, needles, and potassium and Berga: The capital of the Berguedá region is 45 minutes from Cardona magnesium salts. to the northeast. It lies at the foot of the Queralt Mountains, presided over by the shrine of the same name. The Church of San Joan de Berga with Salt Museum: The original and most complete museum is located in its Corpus Christi celebrations, and the most traditional festival, the Patum. Solsona. However, we can also enjoy a private collection, the work of local craftsman José Arnau and his family. The exhibition is divided into two Nearby, the Baells Reservoir offers a location for water sports. For parts. First there are pieces made of carved salt, and hiking there is the hilly area close to Solsona, from the then there are rocks in their original state, showing village of La Coma to the wooded Serra del Verd and geologically interesting saline crystallization. Some of Cap de Verd or the Port del Comte Mountains in the Pantano de the latter pieces contain a drop of water in their La Baells foothills of the Pyrenees. interior. Berga There is hunting: hare, rabbit, partridge, quail, wild Solsona: Thirty minutes from Cardona by car, boar, and chamois. The waters of the Cardener offer calm, heading towards Seo. The town dates from the Roman Solsona C-26 relaxed fishing in Sant Llorenç, , La Coma and period and lies at the foot of Castellvell Hill. Its Río Llobregat La Pedra, or along the Ribera Salada River. There one cathedral was consecrated in the 12th century, and can find trout, barbell, catfish, and black -bass. later modified with Gothic and baroque elements. It CARDONA houses the Virgen of the Cloister, made of black stone. Montaña Shopping in Cardona and nearby towns offers figures de Sal C-55 C-16 The Diocesan Museum in the Episcopal Palace Río Cardener carved in salt in pastel colors, the traditional medieval contains an important collection of thousand-year-old basketwork of Suria, and the pottery of Solsona. handicrafts, the fruits of excavations in Merlés,

Tiurana, Riner, , Sorba, and Iberian Manresa The welcoming Parador de Cardona offers any number settlements at Casa Aguilar. Nearby is the Shrine of of activities close by. There is no sense of time, no rush, its the Miracle. A Benedictine priory preserves its story. history runs from the Neolithic to the present day. Medieval legends point to the future. The rural and urban landscape N - II Manresa: The capital of the region and central features hills, grassland, valleys, and rivers, the age-old Montserrat lies where the Cardener and Llobregat Igualada Terrassa farms and country houses of Catalonia, and native flora rivers come together. It has been inhabited since the and fauna. There is wealth for the body, spirit for the soul. Neolithic period. Gothic basilica of Seu, Vell Bridge “If Athens has Pericles and Rome its Empire, Monserrat has (Pont Vell), City Hall (Casa de la Ciutat), Lawcourts (Palacio de Justicia) Catalonia and the Virgin, landscape and spirit.” and monuments related to Saint Ignacio Loyola, who lived here for 10 months in 1522-1523 during his move from Monserrat to the Holy Land. Several temples recall his time here: the Sanctuary of the Santa Cueva, the Chapel of Sant Ignasi Malalt, the Pool of the Hen (Pou de la Gallina) and the Virgen de la Guía and Salut hermitages.

Parador de Cardona Duques de Cardona 08261 Cardona (Barcelona) Tel.: 93 869 12 75 - Fax: 93 869 16 36 e-mail: [email protected] Central de Reservas Requena, 3. 28013 Madrid (España) Tel.: 902 54 79 79 - Fax: 902 52 54 32 www.parador.es / e-mail: [email protected] wap.parador.es/wap/

Textos: Miguel García Sánchez Dibujos: Fernando Aznar

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